Bainbridge Review staff writer/photographer Luciano Marano’s first published work of fiction appeared in the extreme horror anthology “DOA III,” released last week by Blood Bound Books in both digital and paperback formats.

Containing grisly and extremely graphic content not suitable for the squeamish, or the easily offended, the anthology contains works by such noted genre icons as Jack Ketchum, Bentley Little, Lloyd Kaufman, John McNee, K. Trap Jones, Wrath James White and Shane McKenzie, among others.

Marano said that writing short fiction has long been a hobby, but that he only recently began searching for publishing opportunities. He mostly writes crime, horror and fantasy stories.

“It surreal and unbelievably gratifying to see my name in the table of contents among so many authors I admire,” Marano said. “I’ve always loved horror and dark fantasy stories. I think genre fiction lets us deal with hard issues head on, in ways that more mainstream literature does not allow.”

The collection is the third in a series of such anthologies from the Arizona-based publisher.

“It’s obviously not for everybody,” Marano said. “But if you like your horror out there — like way, way out there — it’s most definitely for you.”